Business
Cullinan Therapeutics Receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for CLN-049, a Novel FLT3xCD3 T Cell Engager, in Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Orphan Drug Designation underscores the potential of CLN-049, a novel FLT3xCD3 T cell engager, to address significant unmet need in AML CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May
About this update from Cullinan Therapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Orphan Drug Designation underscores the potential of CLN-049, a novel FLT3xCD3 T cell engager, to address significant unmet need in AML CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cullinan Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CGEM), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company accelerating potential first- or best-in-class, high-impact therapies in autoimmune diseases and cancer, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to CLN-049, a novel, investigational FLT3xCD3 T cell engager, for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). “FDA Orphan Drug Designation for CLN-049 emphasizes both the urgent need for new therapies for people living with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia – including patients with TP53-mutated AML who currently face a particularly poor prognosis – and the potential of this FLT3-directed T cell engager to expand treatment options across the broadest population of AML patients,” said Jeffrey Jones, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Cullinan Therapeutics. “Coupled with promising results from our ongoing Phase 1 program, this designation by the FDA reinforces a shared goal to rapidly advance novel therapies for patients living with AML.” About Orphan Drug Designation The U.S. FDA’s Orphan Drug Designation provides orphan status to drugs and biologics intended to prevent, diagnose, or treat rare diseases or conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Orphan Drug Designation qualifies sponsors for certain development incentives, including tax credits for qualified clinical trials, exemption from certain FDA user fees, and the potential for seven years of market exclusivity in the United States following marketing approval. About CLN-049 CLN-049 is a novel, investigational FLT3xCD3 T cell engager. CLN-049 is designed to target FLT3-expressing leukemia cells, offering a new immunotherapeutic approach for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). CLN-049 binds to both mutated and non-mutated FLT3, enabling targeted action regardless of FLT3 mutational status, making the investigational treatment widely applicable to a broad population. CLN-049 is being studied in a Phase 1, open-label, multicenter, first-in-human, multiple ascending dose study evaluating safety, tolera...